Unengendered Terrain – LGBTQ Essay Contest Winner
Caro Tyner shares their first bike packing trip in this story, which took first place in our LGBTQ essay contest, themed on firsts.
Before my first bikepacking trip, I impulsively grabbed the razor in my childhood bathroom, which had probably sat idle for years, and took it to my pits. I’d been fixating on the damp, sweaty hair under my arms when I woke up, and I didn’t want to deal with it on the road.
As I dried off, the bare skin in the mirror left me a little queasy. I hadn’t shaved in years, and the sudden loss made me worry… Do I look less queer?